Mentoring in Substance Abuse Treatment Research: This K24 Mid-Career Investigator Award in Patient- Oriented Research will provide an ongoing intensive phase of career development and mentoring in substance abuse treatment research, specifically in the areas of mechanisms of substance use disorders, development of therapeutic interventions, and clinical trials of specific treatments of substance use disorders. The applicant addresses two areas of need in clinical research: (1) increased patient-oriented research focused on gender differences in substance abuse and treatment development for women with substance use disorders, and (2) the need for more clinical investigators committed to a career in substance abuse patient oriented research. More specifically, over the next five years, this K24 would allow the investigator to accomplish her career goals which are closely related to the specific aims of this K24 application: Aim 1: The investigator will continue and extend involvement in substance abuse patient-oriented research. More specifically, this K24 renewal award will allow Dr. Greenfield to extend her focus on gender differences in substance use disorders in terms of risks and disease mechanisms, treatment services use, new and effective treatments, and investigating biomarkers of treatment response; Aim 2: The investigator will continue her extensive involvement mentoring trainees and junior investigators who are already engaged and interested in developing a substance abuse patient-oriented research career including Harvard Medical School adult and child psychiatry residents, research fellows, and junior faculty of both clinical and non-clinical departments; Aim 3: The investigator will explore additional methodologies and content areas in order to extend her research on treatment outcomes for women with substance use disorders. She will learn methods that will be used to identify potential biological markers that can serve as moderators of treatment outcome among women with substance use disorders. Accomplishing these aims will increase the knowledge base of substance abuse treatment research through both the investigator's enhanced productivity in patient oriented research in gender differences in substance use disorders, and also her mentoring of junior investigators who will acquire both the fascination and research skills to go on to productive careers in substance abuse treatment research. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This grant project will increase the knowledge base of substance abuse treatment research through both the investigator's enhanced productivity in patient oriented research focusing on gender differences in substance use disorders and treatment development for women with substance use disorders. In addition, it will contribute to this knowledge base through the investigator's dedicated mentoring of junior investigators and trainees who will acquire both the fascination and research skills to go on to productive careers in substance abuse treatment research.